Chicken Tikka Masala

Make the marinade: In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne, and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the chicken: Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat, and refrigerate overnight.

Make the cashew butter: Place 1/2 cup of raw, unroasted cashews in a food processor and process until it turns into a paste. You might be tempted to stop when it turns into what you think of as finely ground cashews, but keep going. Trust me, it will turn into a paste if you keep processing.

Make the crispy onions: slice the onion thinly and chop into 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces. Melt the butter in a skillet and slowly cook and caramelize the onions until they are dark brown. Remove the onions and place them on a paper towel to soak up the remaining butter.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill - if using gas, place one or two pieces of wood (I would recommend cherry or apple) on the grill to produce smoke while you cook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade; scrape off as much of the marinade as possible. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread the pieces on a baking sheet. Grill the chicken, turning once or twice, until just cooked through and browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut the chicken into 1-2 inch pieces.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the cashews and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cashews to a plate and let them cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the cashews until finely ground.

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garam masala, chile powder, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar; season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and ground cashews and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer.

Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients until the sauce is silky smooth. Take some of the hot sauce and add it to a bowl with the cashew butter to make a slurry, and then add in the cashew butter slurry to help thicken the sauce and enhance the flavor. Stir in the chicken; simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Just before serving, add a few tablespoons of chopped cilantro.

Make jasmine rice using your favorite method and technique, but add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric for every 1.5 cups of dry rice to give it a vibrant yellow color. When the rice is done, sprinkle the crispy onions over top and then top with chopped cilantro.

To serve, put a bed of rice in a bowl, topped with crispy onions and a heaping ladle of chicken and sauce, and then sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top. We also recommend serving with garlic naan fresh out of the oven.